Nature
At Nedbank, we acknowledge that human beings are part of nature and not separate to it. Human society and industry are embedded within, dependent on and impact nature. We understand nature as the physical world and all the features, forces, and processes that exist independently of human activity, such as the weather, landscapes, and ecosystems.
Climate change and nature loss are inextricably linked. Healthy ecosystems – and the biodiversity they contain – are natural carbon sinks, and they are crucial for capturing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions. Healthy and resilient natural systems have tremendous capacity for adapting to the effects of climate change. However, this capacity diminishes as the resilience of natural systems erodes. The greater the decline in nature, the greater the intensity of climate change effects, which further drives nature loss. This feedback loop presents enormous risks to businesses and societal well-being – risks that threaten to compound and cascade. Efforts to address these risks must be integrative and mutually reinforcing. We must take action to restore nature and decarbonise our economies at the same time, and find opportunities to leverage and grow complementary efforts in a just and equitable manner.
As Nedbank, we affect nature through our lending, investments, loans, and insurance underwriting. We recognise that land use change is driving nature loss and are cognisant of the varying degrees of impact that different sectors have on nature and accordingly apply a differentiated approach across sectors. Different ways of producing, consuming, and financing these activities will be considered to ensure that we can meet our current needs and support the well-being of future generations without destroying our natural resource base. Nedbank has a responsibility to limit and ultimately reverse negative impact on nature and, consequently, to advance the resilience of the societies and economies we operate in.
Nedbank's Nature Position Statement
Nedbank's Climate Change Position Statement 2022
Safeguarding water source areas and rural livelihoods